diff --git a/dynamic/golden_test.go b/dynamic/golden_test.go
index e9f94e9e..d19c785e 100644
--- a/dynamic/golden_test.go
+++ b/dynamic/golden_test.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func TestGoldenRequest(t *testing.T) {
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatalf("failed to load fixture: %v", err)
 				}
-				if diff := cmp.Diff(got, want); diff != "" {
+				if diff := cmp.Diff(want, got); diff != "" {
 					t.Errorf("unexpected difference from expected bytes:\n%s", diff)
 				}
 			}))
diff --git a/dynamic/simple.go b/dynamic/simple.go
index b4767140..6c729982 100644
--- a/dynamic/simple.go
+++ b/dynamic/simple.go
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/features"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/watchlist"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -340,10 +340,6 @@ func (c *dynamicResourceClient) Apply(ctx context.Context, name string, obj *uns
 	if err := validateNamespaceWithOptionalName(c.namespace, name); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	outBytes, err := runtime.Encode(unstructured.UnstructuredJSONScheme, obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	accessor, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -355,21 +351,16 @@ func (c *dynamicResourceClient) Apply(ctx context.Context, name string, obj *uns
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
 
-	result := c.client.client.
-		Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
-		AbsPath(append(c.makeURLSegments(name), subresources...)...).
-		Body(outBytes).
-		SpecificallyVersionedParams(&patchOpts, dynamicParameterCodec, versionV1).
-		Do(ctx)
-	if err := result.Error(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	retBytes, err := result.Raw()
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.client.client, obj.Object)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
 	var out unstructured.Unstructured
-	if err := runtime.DecodeInto(unstructured.UnstructuredJSONScheme, retBytes, &out); err != nil {
+	if err := request.
+		AbsPath(append(c.makeURLSegments(name), subresources...)...).
+		SpecificallyVersionedParams(&patchOpts, dynamicParameterCodec, versionV1).
+		Do(ctx).Into(&out); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return &out, nil
diff --git a/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/apply b/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/apply
index 9f6385a7..69916bf5 100755
--- a/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/apply
+++ b/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/apply
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ PATCH /apis/flops/v1alpha1/namespaces/mops/flips/mips/fin?force=true HTTP/1.1
 Host: example.com
 Accept: application/json
 Accept-Encoding: gzip
-Content-Length: 29
+Content-Length: 28
 Content-Type: application/apply-patch+yaml
 User-Agent: TestGoldenRequest
 
-{"metadata":{"name":"mips"}}
+{"metadata":{"name":"mips"}}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/applystatus b/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/applystatus
index ce69f166..98a6ce44 100755
--- a/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/applystatus
+++ b/dynamic/testdata/TestGoldenRequest/applystatus
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ PATCH /apis/flops/v1alpha1/namespaces/mops/flips/mips/status?force=true HTTP/1.1
 Host: example.com
 Accept: application/json
 Accept-Encoding: gzip
-Content-Length: 29
+Content-Length: 28
 Content-Type: application/apply-patch+yaml
 User-Agent: TestGoldenRequest
 
-{"metadata":{"name":"mips"}}
+{"metadata":{"name":"mips"}}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gentype/type.go b/gentype/type.go
index 267f9111..e6ed6aae 100644
--- a/gentype/type.go
+++ b/gentype/type.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package gentype
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	types "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	watch "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	rest "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/watchlist"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -337,20 +337,21 @@ func (a *alsoApplier[T, C]) Apply(ctx context.Context, obj C, opts metav1.ApplyO
 		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("object provided to Apply must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return *new(T), err
-	}
 	if obj.GetName() == nil {
 		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("obj.Name must be provided to Apply")
 	}
-	err = a.client.client.Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(a.client.client, obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return *new(T), err
+	}
+
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefaultIfPreferred(a.client.prefersProtobuf).
 		NamespaceIfScoped(a.client.namespace, a.client.namespace != "").
 		Resource(a.client.resource).
 		Name(*obj.GetName()).
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, a.client.parameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return result, err
@@ -362,24 +363,24 @@ func (a *alsoApplier[T, C]) ApplyStatus(ctx context.Context, obj C, opts metav1.
 		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("object provided to Apply must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return *new(T), err
-	}
 
 	if obj.GetName() == nil {
 		return *new(T), fmt.Errorf("obj.Name must be provided to Apply")
 	}
 
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(a.client.client, obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return *new(T), err
+	}
+
 	result := a.client.newObject()
-	err = a.client.client.Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefaultIfPreferred(a.client.prefersProtobuf).
 		NamespaceIfScoped(a.client.namespace, a.client.namespace != "").
 		Resource(a.client.resource).
 		Name(*obj.GetName()).
 		SubResource("status").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, a.client.parameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return result, err
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 5e7862f6..4f7d0a58 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.34.2
 	gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4 v4.12.0
 	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20241030034125-271c79cac830
-	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241025000453-124c262107b0
+	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241030172525-c56b2072eeef
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20240827152857-f7e401e7b4c2
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20240711033017-18e509b52bc8
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8d8da139..36cfd083 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20241030034125-271c79cac830 h1:zu5fMzQV/xp3VSln7QIaHNb2ghUQ3YJngYo1y52wpsc=
 k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20241030034125-271c79cac830/go.mod h1:aywKYMtpaiAtWkkKBmWO/iXvZmEmVXmBwQwOuQqkP0c=
-k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241025000453-124c262107b0 h1:6dJVqURMs0HNPdaaIJ0UqpwB39zuTdaMxYMTNKXiAis=
-k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241025000453-124c262107b0/go.mod h1:y/FzDt/GaPgPceo5rJcCtD4qW5l8SwtbzESSMGEY6P8=
+k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241030172525-c56b2072eeef h1:rg539iNcCy2bp+skJ2t30U9/m5du8y8NUxOgtEJ3tFM=
+k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20241030172525-c56b2072eeef/go.mod h1:y/FzDt/GaPgPceo5rJcCtD4qW5l8SwtbzESSMGEY6P8=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 h1:n9Xl7H1Xvksem4KFG4PYbdQCQxqc/tTUyrgXaOhHSzk=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1/go.mod h1:3Jpz1GvMt720eyJH1ckRHK1EDfpxISzJ7I9OYgaDtPE=
 k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20240827152857-f7e401e7b4c2 h1:GKE9U8BH16uynoxQii0auTjmmmuZ3O0LFMN6S0lPPhI=
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/deployment.go b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/deployment.go
index 98665eb9..cc06ccf3 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/deployment.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/deployment.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsautoscalingv1 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/autoscaling/v1"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // DeploymentsGetter has a method to return a DeploymentInterface.
@@ -120,20 +120,19 @@ func (c *deployments) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, deploymentName string, sca
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &autoscalingv1.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("deployments").
 		Name(deploymentName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/replicaset.go b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/replicaset.go
index b3efc668..db0fed95 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/replicaset.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/replicaset.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsautoscalingv1 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/autoscaling/v1"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // ReplicaSetsGetter has a method to return a ReplicaSetInterface.
@@ -120,20 +120,19 @@ func (c *replicaSets) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, replicaSetName string, sca
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &autoscalingv1.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("replicasets").
 		Name(replicaSetName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/statefulset.go b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/statefulset.go
index e135c340..e52cc615 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/statefulset.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1/statefulset.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsautoscalingv1 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/autoscaling/v1"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // StatefulSetsGetter has a method to return a StatefulSetInterface.
@@ -120,20 +120,19 @@ func (c *statefulSets) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, statefulSetName string, s
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &autoscalingv1.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("statefulsets").
 		Name(statefulSetName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1beta2/statefulset.go b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1beta2/statefulset.go
index 879d86bc..c71e9349 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1beta2/statefulset.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/apps/v1beta2/statefulset.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1beta2
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	appsv1beta2 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1beta2"
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsappsv1beta2 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/apps/v1beta2"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // StatefulSetsGetter has a method to return a StatefulSetInterface.
@@ -118,20 +118,19 @@ func (c *statefulSets) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, statefulSetName string, s
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &appsv1beta2.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("statefulsets").
 		Name(statefulSetName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/deployment.go b/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/deployment.go
index d7ca65b1..1bcf3cbc 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/deployment.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/deployment.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1beta1
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	extensionsv1beta1 "k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsextensionsv1beta1 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/extensions/v1beta1"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // DeploymentsGetter has a method to return a DeploymentInterface.
@@ -118,20 +118,19 @@ func (c *deployments) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, deploymentName string, sca
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &extensionsv1beta1.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("deployments").
 		Name(deploymentName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/replicaset.go b/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/replicaset.go
index 4640521a..f918be41 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/replicaset.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/extensions/v1beta1/replicaset.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package v1beta1
 
 import (
 	context "context"
-	json "encoding/json"
 	fmt "fmt"
 
 	extensionsv1beta1 "k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	applyconfigurationsextensionsv1beta1 "k8s.io/client-go/applyconfigurations/extensions/v1beta1"
 	gentype "k8s.io/client-go/gentype"
 	scheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	apply "k8s.io/client-go/util/apply"
 )
 
 // ReplicaSetsGetter has a method to return a ReplicaSetInterface.
@@ -118,20 +118,19 @@ func (c *replicaSets) ApplyScale(ctx context.Context, replicaSetName string, sca
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale provided to ApplyScale must not be nil")
 	}
 	patchOpts := opts.ToPatchOptions()
-	data, err := json.Marshal(scale)
+	request, err := apply.NewRequest(c.GetClient(), scale)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	result = &extensionsv1beta1.Scale{}
-	err = c.GetClient().Patch(types.ApplyPatchType).
+	err = request.
 		UseProtobufAsDefault().
 		Namespace(c.GetNamespace()).
 		Resource("replicasets").
 		Name(replicaSetName).
 		SubResource("scale").
 		VersionedParams(&patchOpts, scheme.ParameterCodec).
-		Body(data).
 		Do(ctx).
 		Into(result)
 	return
diff --git a/util/apply/apply.go b/util/apply/apply.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c135f559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/apply/apply.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2024 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package apply
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	cbor "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/cbor/direct"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/features"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+)
+
+// NewRequest builds a new server-side apply request. The provided apply configuration object will
+// be marshalled to the request's body using the default encoding, and the Content-Type header will
+// be set to application/apply-patch with the appropriate structured syntax name suffix (today,
+// either +yaml or +cbor, see
+// https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-type-structured-suffix/media-type-structured-suffix.xhtml).
+func NewRequest(client rest.Interface, applyConfiguration interface{}) (*rest.Request, error) {
+	pt := types.ApplyYAMLPatchType
+	marshal := json.Marshal
+
+	if features.TestOnlyFeatureGates.Enabled(features.TestOnlyClientAllowsCBOR) && features.TestOnlyFeatureGates.Enabled(features.TestOnlyClientPrefersCBOR) {
+		pt = types.ApplyCBORPatchType
+		marshal = cbor.Marshal
+	}
+
+	body, err := marshal(applyConfiguration)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal apply configuration: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return client.Patch(pt).Body(body), nil
+}